Proposed Mt. Bachelor Ski Area Improvements

Mt. Bachelor hopes to make plenty of changes to its current operations.

More proposed changes are afoot in our backyard recreation zone. Mt. Bachelor, which is on 8,122 acres of National Forest Land and operates on a Special Use Permit, has asked for permission from the Forest Service to make a pile of changes to the mountain's operations and amenities.

Among the most interesting proposals are a new lift on the East side of the mountain (thick red line on the right), new lift-served mountain bike trails (all the lavender squiggly lines between the Sunrise and Outback lifts), a zip line (!), and moving the tubing area right on top of the nordic lodge and staging area (orange blob). New, but minimal nordic trails are also in the proposal (barely perceptible pink line).

Seems to us like it would make more sense to put the tubing over by the proposed "Children's Adventure Zone" at the bottom of Rainbow (yellow blobs).

Powdr Copr (the conglomerate which owns Mt. Bachelor as well as eight other ski resorts) also hopes to spruce-up existing lodge facilities, build a new lodge AND an alpine training center. More parking lots are in the works too.

That's a lot of stuff. Even though the formal public comment period has ended, that doesn't mean you can't weigh in on the "improvements." Head over to the Forest Service's website and add your two cents.